Bowling ball return mechanism with ball-accelerating auger



April 20, 1965 R; M. CONKLIN ETAL 3,179,411

BWLING BALL RETURN MECHANISM WITH BALL-ACCELRATING AUGER Filed NOV. 13. 1962 United States Patent BOWLING BALL RETURN MECHANISM WITH t BALL-ACCELERATING AUGER t v a Robert M. Conklin and Michael G. Gautraud, Muskegon,

Mich., assignors to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 13, 1962, Ser. No.,237,026

7 Claims. j (Cl. 273-49) j This invention relates to ay bowling ball return` system `veying a bowling ball `from the pit area to a ball return track with acceleration of the ball during engagement by `the mechanism. j

The elapsed time in which a bowling ball is returned to the bowler is very important in the game of bowling. It is therefore necessary to provide a means for placing the ball on the return track in a minimum of time after the ball enters the pit area andjat the same time provide a means which will positivelyconvey the ball to the return track and, accelerate it simultaneously without marking the ball. i Y

It is therefore an object of the present invention `to providefa new and improved ball return `mechanism including a frusto-conically shaped auger having a smaller end adjacent ,the pit Vexit and a larger end adjacent the return track to impart acceleration to the ball during engagement with the auger. j

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved bowling ball return mechanism l.and more particularly to the use of a 'mechanism for con- 3i teni l Patented Apr. 2a, lees rearwardly and to the center thereof to a ball exit opening 28l located centrally in the pit board 26 as is well known in the art. A ball doorl) is positioned to normallyfblock the opening 28. However, ball door 3!) unblocks the ball Vexit opening 28 when a bowling ball 32 is present. This is accomplished by the rotation of the ball 32, the rotation being imparted thereto by a roller 34 powered by a `belt 36 from drive shaft 38. The drive shaft 38 is supported as by bearings 40 and driven by a belt 42 from a shaft 44 which is driven by a belt 46 from motor 48. The rotating ball 32 moves ball door 30 on rollers 3l. The

door 36 is moved back to its blocking position as by a as described in the object hereinabove having lands and grooves thereon,-said lands having a `varyingpitch, with the pitch increasing in a direction toward the return track to give acceleration toV a ball while it is engagedby the lands. a i A further object ofthe present invention is to provide `a pair of new and improved bowling ball return mechanisms, one in each of adjacent bowling lane pits which will convey balls from Aeachof the adjacent pits to a common creasing in a direction toward a commonball return track.

thereinbetween andthe pitchof each auger being outof phase withthe other so that only one ballat altime will arrive at the return track; a a a N ,f V Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent fromthe following detailed description` taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l isa plan View of the present invention shown in the pits of apair of bowling lanes withpart of the pit board removed to better show the invention;

p FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation taken along line '2-1-2 of FIG-1s and.. j. f Y. A EIG. 3 is arsection taken along linef3'-3, of FIG. 2.

While an illustrative embodiment of.V the invention is shown in the 4draWngsand.will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms and ,itk should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an cxempliiication of the principles of the invention and is not intended spring (not shown) after the ball has passed therethrough. The operation o-f this type ball door is well knownin the art and need not be described further herein.

Ball guideway 50 is positioned beneath the ball exit opening 28 so that as the ball 32 passes through the opening, it will be guided bythe guideway 50 to the intermediate return track section 52. The entire ball return track is formed with two distinct sections, the intermediate return tracks section 52 and an elongate return track section 53. As shown in FIG. l, the intermediate ball return track sections 52 from each of a pair of alleys are joined as at 54 to form the elongate common ball return section 53 extending to the bowlers end of the alley (not shown). A guide 56 is positioned to guide the bowling 32 as it switches from the intermediate ball return track section 52 to the elongate ball return track section An auger 58 is operatively'related to the intermediate ball return track section 52.as will be described in detail hereinafter. As best shown in FIG. 1, the auger consists of a frusto-conically shaped'driving screw having a large and a small end. This driving screw is carried on a shaft at the kickbacks 24 as is well known `in the art. The motor 48 drives shaft 44 through belt 46. Thus, the auger 58 is .positively driven through the chain of gears, belts and shafts by motor 48. A j

At the opposite endof .the auger, bevel gear 72 meshes with gear 72 attached to shaft 60' supported by bearing 62H The -shaft 60 carries auger 58' positioned in the adjacent pit similarly to. auger 58. Thus, the positively j driven auger 58 drives auger` 58 through this seriesof bevel gears 72 and 72'.

In operation, theball 32 is thrown from the bowlers end of thejalley (not shown) down the alley 14 and enters the pit 12. The ball is guided by pit cushion 22 and pit floor 26 tothe ball exit .opening 28. a The presence of the 'bowlingball 32 then causes ball door30 to open, allowing the bowling ball to pass through ball exit opening 23 `as described hereinabove. Bowling ball 32 then engages ball guideway 50 and is guided into contact with both the intermediate ball return track section 52 and the constantly rotating auger 58. The auger 53 is positioned adjacent to the intermediate ball return track section 52 and is spaced less than the diameter of a bowling ball therefrom. It is also substantially parallel to the intermediate ball return track section 52. As the ball 32 engages the constantly rotating auger 58 at the end thereof adjacent theball guideway 50, it falls into a groove 66 and is guided by the lands 64 along the auger and intermediate ball return track section. `The lands 64 are so` positioned on auger 58 that the pitch of these lands increases toward the large end of the'auger adjacent ball guide 56, thereby imparting acceleration to the ball 32 as it is supported by the intermediate ball return track section 52. Further, the increase in size of the auger at the end adjacent the ball guide 56 causes the peripheral surfaces of the auger grooves at that end to be rotating faster than peripheral surfaces of the auger at the smaller end adjacentthe ball guideway 59. This causesradditional acceleration o-f the ball 32 on the intermediate ball return track section 52.

The ball then engages ball guide 56 and is directed down the elongate common ball return track section S3 to the bowlers end of the alley.

The augers 58 and 58', each positioned similarly in a pair of adjacent alley pits, are mechanically connected as by'bevel gears 72 and 72 and one auger has a right hand thread and the other a left hand thread so the balls from each pit will be directed to the elongate common ball return Vtrack section 53. Further, these augers are related in an out of phase relationship of 180, that is, when a groove of an auger from one pit is present at the ball guide 56, a land of the auger from the adjacent pit will be present at the opposite side of the ball guide. This -prevents more than one ball at a time arriving at the junction 54 of the intermediate ball return track section 52, and thus prevents ball collisions and malfunctions of the ball return mechanism. This constant out of phase relationship may also be obtained with other forms of connecting means such as: separate synchronized drives on each auger 58, or any mechanical means.

We claim: f

1. A ball return mechanism for use with a bowling lane having a ball return track with a ball guideway,` an intermediate section and an elongate section, and a pit with a ball exit, comprising: saidball guideway having one end adjacent the ball exit and the other end adjacent theiintermediate ball return track section; a rotatable auger adjacent said ball guideway and in operative relation to said intermediate ball return track section, said auger having a frusto-conical shape` with a small end and a larger end, the small end adjacentt'he ball guideway and thelarge end adjacent the elongate yball return track section so that a ball passing lthrough the ball exit willV contactthe ball y guideway, be guided onto the intermediate ball return track section, and be propelled by the auger therealong to the elongate ball return track section. j

2. The mechanism described in claiml, said'auger having lands and-grooves tofpositionthe ball thereon, with the pitch of saidlands increasing toward the larger end.

3. A ball return mechanism for use with a Vbowling lane havinga ball return track with a ball guideway, an intermediate section and elongate section, and a pit with a ball exit and a pit board, comprisingsaid ball guideway being disposed beneath said pit board and having one end adjacent the ball exit and the other end adjacent the intermediate ball return track section; a rotatsection and in operative relation substantially parallel thereto, the pitch of said auger increasing in the direction of ball travel from'the ball guideway to the elongate ball return track section so that a ball passing through the ball exit Will contact the ball guideway, be directed onto the intermediate ball track section and be accelerated by the auger therealong to the elongate ball return track section.

4. A ball return mechanism for use with a bowling Aable auger adjacent said Yintermediate ball return track lane having a ball return track and a pit with a ball exit,

comprising: a ball support means having one end adjacent the ball exit and the other end adjacent the ball return track; a rotatable auger adjacent said ball support means and substantially parallel to said ball return track and spaced from both the ball support means and the ball return track less than the diameter of a ball so a ball on the ball support means will also engage the rotatable auger, said auger increasing in pitch in the direction of ball travel to accelerate a ball after said ball is transferred from the ball support means to the ball return track.

5. A ball return mechanism for use with a pair of bowling lanes having an elongate common ball return track therebetween and each lane having a pit with a Vball return track section, a pit board and a ball exit therein, comprising: a ball guideway in each pit beneath said pit board, said guideway having one end adjacent the ball exit and the other end adjacent the ball return track section; a rotatableV auger in each pit adjacent each said ball guideway and'in operative relation, substantially parallel .to the ball return track section, each auger having a frustoconical shape with a small end and a larger end, with the pitch of each of said augers increasing toward the larger end, the small end adjacent said ball guideway in each pit and the large end adjacent the elongate common ball return track so that a ball passing through the ball exit in either pit will contact the ball guideway of that pit, be

directed onto the ball return -track{section, and be propelled by the auger therealong to the elongate vcommon ball return track; and means connecting said augers together to effectl uniform rotationof the two augers rela- Apit beneath said ypit board, having'one end adjacent the ball'exit; a rotatable auger in each pit adjacent each said 'ball support means and in operative relation substantially parallel thereto, each auger having a frusto-conical shape with aV small end and a larger end, with the pitch of each of said laugers increasing toward the Jlarger end, the small end being ahead of the larger endY to initially engage a ball traveling along the ball support means so that a ball n passing through the ball exit lin either pit will contact the ball support means of that pit and be propelled' by the auger therealong in a` direction away from thejball exit; and meshed gears connecting said augers together to` effect uniform rotation of the two augers relative to each other, one augerldriving" the other auger, with said augers out of phase.

References Cited by the Eiraminer t UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,470,052 5/49 VRundell 273-49 2,966,252 12/60 Meyer 198-32 3,068,006 12/62 H011oway 2737-49 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. f 

1. A BALL RETURN MECHANISM FOR USE WITH A BOWLING LANE HAVING A BALL RETURN TRACK WITH A BALL GUIDEWAY, AN INTERMEDIATE SECTION AND AN ELONGATE SECTION, AND A PIT WITH A BALL EXIT, COMPRISING: SAID BALL GUIDEWAY HAVING ONE END ADJACENT THE BALL EXIT AND THE OTHER END ADJACENT THE INTERMEDIATE BALL RETURN TRACK SECTION; A ROTATABLE AUGER ADJACENT SAID BALL GUIDEWAY AND IN OPERATIVE RELATION TO SAID INTERMEDIATE BALL RETURN TRACK SECTION, SAID AUGER HAVING A FRUSTO-CONICAL SHAPE WITH A SMALL END AND A LARGER END, THE SMALL END ADJACENT THE BALL GUIDEWAY AND THE LARGE END ADJACENT THE ELONGATE BALL RETURN TRACK SECTION SO THAT A BALL PASSING THROUGH THE BALL EXIT WILL CONTACT THE BALL GUIDEWAY, BE GUIDED ONTO THE INTERMEDIATE BALL RETURN 